I received a free copy from Smith Publicity in exchange for an honest review.

From the information I received on this book, I had actually expected moI received a free copy from Smith Publicity in exchange for an honest review.

From the information I received on this book, I had actually expected more of a how-to on combining meditation with a more profound spiritual outlook. Having studied various religions in college, it came as a surprise to me to find a book with heavy far Eastern religious ideals that referenced Christ from front to back. The author also shoots down the concept of magic but also speaks in pagan terms:

“It is not that Mother Gaia abandons her children, the humans. It is that her evolution will move into a realm where humans can only survive if they too ascend and evolve and shed their childish behavior.” 5%

Garlinger makes so many great observations of the human race, although often mixed with some over-the-top descriptions that border on absurd, like the following:

“As we speak, the trumpets of Heaven blast resoundingly in full appreciation of the triumphs of the human race. But none of the wondrous achievements in technology can lead us from the inexorable conclusion that humanity is bent on its own destruction.” 4%

He points out that the world is full of warring beliefs about the divine and the creator but the people arguing have no real idea of what they are talking about. People give up authority to those who claim to know of God but are in truth being deceived.

“Love is a key aspect of the collective consciousness into which you are all absorbed as infants and which then shapes your sense of what it means to be human: You must have a mate, and this mate must fill you with this romantic love. Without this, you are not quite right, you are flawed, you are missing something essential, and your life cannot ever be as good as it is for someone who finds this romantic love. Anybody who dares challenge that story in any way is deemed somehow an outcast and sent to the sidelines of society.” 18%

Garlinger makes a very good attempt at pointing out that love is not simply between partners. Love is in everything and everyone and not simply about romance. This is something I wholeheartedly agree with. If we recognize the love around us, we will come into a higher level of consciousness.

Another excellent point is that humans try to control literally everything. “You cannot exert control. You have to let go and let the lifestream lead you.” 21% these attempts breed anxiety and further separation from ascension. Additionally, ascension is not a group activity to be led by anyone. It is an independent act.

“Ascension does not require the participation of anybody else but you, and to accept everyone else where they are and not to convince them that they need to wake up is all that you need to accept right now. This does not mean you can’t try to help those who want to wake up, but understand that, like this text that works not intellectually, not linearly, you are not to try to persuade or cajole or convince through all manner of intellectual feats that others can and should wake up.” 34%.

While that's a nice sentiment, it seems this whole book is about how the reader is not at the right place and that the author is, in fact, trying to persuade us to do his bidding. If I should only be concerned with my own ascension, should he not be only concerned with his?

He goes on to discuss bigotry and racism and the judgment of groups of people. Not only do these things breed hatred, war, and dissension, they limit your ability to transcend to your true divine state. “None of it has any real truth to it; it is all the fiction that you create.” 53%

Pretty much the book ran smoothly until the author came out with some kind of off the wall ideas, like:

“Many of you have lived as stars from other realms and galaxies. You have then incarnated in this realm, in this body, many, many times, each time seeking to understand the vastness of all creation in and through this particular type of incarnation.” 56%

I suppose I'm just not used to Christ, reincarnation and being a star in a galaxy all coming from one mouth like they go together perfectly.

And with every religious and spiritual text comes the discussion of compassion. This will always be the major concept I disagree with.

“Compassion is not an act, nor is it an action: It is a relationship to an object or person in front of you, it is a measure of your relationship to the person’s deed, and not how you respond in action. We will get to action. Compassion is the measure of how much love you bring to the person who has acted in the way that has created problems or strife in the world, and so you can bring this person love, in and through compassion, or you can bring judgment. When you no longer bring judgment, you can only bring compassion. Compassion is not condoning, it is not saying what you did was right or wrong, it does not necessarily alleviate the other person [of responsibility]. No, compassion is love that comes and meets that energy, the misguided and misappropriated energy, and says there is another way to be.” 58%

Garlinger goes on to use Hitler as his example. I guess if you're going to make a statement, you might as well go big. How he can rationalize compassion for Hitler astounds me. So we should bring love to mass murderers, child molestors, and rapists in order to ascend? I wish you could see the face I'm making.

Blasphemy and charity were interesting discussions.

“Blasphemy is something that you all use as a means of keeping each other in check. It is a tool of religious domination. You speak about God as if you know God, and therefore you can decide what is appropriate and what isn’t. You believe that you understand God and that you can then determine the ways that God should and should not be talked about or discussed. You decide that this is okay, but that is not. Most of those decisions or choices about what is and is not blasphemy are not correct. They are not based in truth.” 70%

So it's blasphemy to speak as if we know God. If we say God thinks or feels a certain way about something it's wrong. So why can the author do it? Right after he defines blasphemy he goes on to say,

“God, or the Light, the Source of all being, the Creator, is not amused by your efforts to dictate to each other. Of course God can be “amused.” God can experience all emotions, just not in the way that you would experience them or interpret them, and therefore “amuse” you might misunderstand, as if God sits around on some throne waiting for his human subjects to entertain him like jesters in a court. No, no, that is not the image at all we mean to convey. God is amused in the sense that the Light is uplifting, that there is an uplifting that comes with any sort of amusement, of joy, of love that is spread.” 70%

Isn't that the author trying to “keep us in check”?

Now his explanation of charity is spot on:

“Charity is such a misunderstood topic among humans, who often regard it as being a reflection of their goodness or something they do out of obligation, as a commitment or a burden. It is not something done with joy and freedom. It is seen as a loss, a handing over of money to another cause, an essential obligation to look good and be seen as appropriately generous. In other words, charity becomes a means by which you buy and barter social acceptance among certain echelons of your society.” 90%

However, I do believe there are people who are charitable without trying to gain public favor or look good.

So kudos to Garlinger for going full steam ahead with his arguments. I applaud anyone who is willing to take a stand and respectfully present their ideas. However, the book does not flow from chapter to chapter; the author acts like a know it all who's better than his readers; and he presents some very touchy subjects. Maybe I'll never ascend because I refuse to offer compassion to people like Hitler. I'd be interested to know just how many other readers were completely blown away and/or thoroughly disgusted with this.

I received a free copy from Smith Publicity in exchange for an honest review.

"I'm Such a Tourist" actually started out really slow and I found it kindI received a free copy from Smith Publicity in exchange for an honest review.

"I'm Such a Tourist" actually started out really slow and I found it kind of ironic that in the preface the author mentioned wanting to write an interesting tourism book. The first two sections were mainly explanatory information defining certain aspects of the industry. I found some of the explanations to be completely extraneous but I suppose if this book were used in a business class setting it would be useful.

The reading finally picked up and became interesting to me in section three where the author began discussing the economic impact of the tourism industry on the local communities. Tourism can actually have huge negative impacts on the communities tourists flock to. Yes, jobs are created but they end up being seasonal, catering only to the tourist season for the area.

"It is unfortunate, but most of these negative effects are happening to developing countries and those with just poor infrastructure. When they already have a weak link in their systems, they can be easily affected by these things as well as terrorism, natural disasters, political instability, and economic recessions." 34%

Branding is also a huge part of the tourism industry. The author goes into detail on various locations and their use of branding. Places like Las Vegas embrace their image and build on it to positively affect the influx of tourists.

The author also discusses how theme parks now have a much bigger impact on the industry.

"Theme parks have also sparked a new trend in the tourism industry with their newly formed niche of tourists motivated by theme park travel. These tourists are motivated by thrill seeking. Not only do they focus on adventure traveling , but specifically travel to theme parks across the globe." 77%

Locations that have year round theme parks (usually those areas not controlled by weather) experience a more positive impact from tourism.

It was interesting to me to learn how much tourism can affect locale economy. The author is very well versed on the subject matter and, equally important to me, his writing and grammar are impeccable. I think this book would be a great asset to a college level business class that focuses on the tourism industry. I think business leaders in the tourism industry could also benefit from it by using the literature to help evaluate their best business practices and to develop more.

I received a free copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This book is really creative. Each chapter covers a different "cursed" locationI received a free copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This book is really creative. Each chapter covers a different "cursed" location. Detailed information is given on the history and well-known events that occurred there.

I do think the descriptions were a bit dry. The book info made it sound like it would be a little more creepy but it was basically a history lesson for each locale. I would've liked a lot more recent information. What I was expecting was tours of places currently considered haunted and cursed and examples of what is currently going on, not just history.

The overall product was pretty decent. I would've preferred more current events but I did enjoy the history lesson.

I received a free copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I think that everyone still wonders why Harry Potter is such a powerful force.I received a free copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I think that everyone still wonders why Harry Potter is such a powerful force. I even fell victim to Potter-mania but like the author said of his students, I don't have a reason why I love the series. I just do. I've read and reread all of the books and I have all the movies. I was even one of those people that had to have them on release day.

Maybe there is some all encompassing reason why Harry Potter was so successful. Maybe not. I think the author took on too hard of a task trying to explain it.

I thought I'd like the book but I guess I don't need to know a professor's opinion on why one of my favorite series is so popular.

I received a free copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

"The only way to prepare for a trip like this, I felt, was to dress up like humI received a free copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

"The only way to prepare for a trip like this, I felt, was to dress up like human peacocks and get crazy, then screech of across the desert and cover the story. Never lose sight of the primary responsibility." (Page 19)

And so this fantastically crazy, drug-infused tale begins. This was a great graphic novel adaptation of one of my favorite books and movies. "Fear and Loathing" is a rare breed in that I've enjoyed it in every format I've come across. Not many adaptations of my favorite books have been anywhere near as good as the texts.

One thing I noticed is that for each drug our characters sampled, the text boxes changed to reflect their altered states - different styles for each drug. For me, it was very reminiscent of the film with special effects for the characters' drug induced delirium.

I can't say how much I enjoyed this adaptation. I was sorry to reach the last page. I'm very tempted to purchase the book to keep it in my collection.

I received a free copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I've always been a fan of books published by Llewellyn. In college I purchasedI received a free copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I've always been a fan of books published by Llewellyn. In college I purchased a few while I was studying alternative religions to support my research into rites and rituals that were central to Wicca and Witchcraft.

"Samhain" is another great example of the texts published by this publisher. The holiday was thoroughly researched. Extensive information has been provided covering every aspect of Samhain that I could think to question, ie origins, celebrations, history.

The rituals contained in this book are broken down piece by piece to ensure the reader has a very strong understanding. I think this text is an excellent resource for a beginner. I highly recommend it for anyone who is looking for a text on beginner level rituals or someone who is just interested and would like to know more.

The author's writing style is perfect for all readers as well. It's educational but not too austere. I feel that all level readers should be able to take this book and understand everything. The author has done an excellent job using language that is readily understood by many levels of readers.

I received a free copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I really thought this would be great from reading several descriptions about itI received a free copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I really thought this would be great from reading several descriptions about it. It was OK... I liked the artwork, which is why I gave 2 stars. The thing about it is I don't see the point. It really is just some random ideas with some sketches. I basically just skimmed the whole thing because it was page after page after page of inconsequential details - the cost of her shoes, how many hours she slept last night, etc. It's supposed to be her journal or an outlet but I'm not sure we needed 400 pages of these little tidbits. I really just don't see the point....more

I received a free copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I studied a lot of religion in college, enough to complete a second major. SomeI received a free copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I studied a lot of religion in college, enough to complete a second major. Some of my favorites were Eastern religions, including the teachings of the Buddha. I think this graphic novel would have been a fantastic addition to my Religions of the Far East class and I will be reaching out to my professor to consider it.

This graphic novel illustrates many of the main points of the teachings of Buddha:

"He realized that some things cannot be overcome with wealth or power - namely, the sufferings of birth, aging, sickness, and death." (Page 50)

There is also information on the history of Buddhism as well as the explanation of the different branches. What I really like is that Nichiren is not just some fictional character whose fictional life is used to teach a lesson. He was, in fact, a real monk. While the story is embellished by the authors to include some less factual information, the point is this graphic novel is based on a very real historical figure.

During Nichiren's lifetime, his homeland was plagued with a lot of natural disasters, including widespread illness.

"Natural disasters are unavoidable, but human beings must have strength to overcome them and wisdom to move on with their lives. Negative thinking, however, can prevent people from summoning this inner strength and overcoming obstacles. Moreover, Buddhist scriptures offer the insight that disorder within human beings is reflected as disorder within society." (Page 62)

He felt that a common problem with the current Buddhist way of thought was the following of The Pure Land school of thought. This practice taught disciples to just give in to date and accept it so that they might achieve their place in The Pure Land. Nichiren found this to actually be a negative practice and petitioned for a return to the spirit of the Lotus Sutra. He felt that one should not just be governed by fate but that people should still attempt to improve their lives. Like many religious leaders before him, he was met by excessive resistance from leaders of his religion.

Many attempts were made on his life and Nichiren held fast to his devotion, willing to die for his beliefs. It's interesting that he was exiled twice and so many attempts were made on his life but the government that couldn't stand him was not able to silence him.

The author has kindly provided a link to a website about Nichiren for further information. My interest has been piqued and I look forward to finding out the whole truth about Nichiren and his teachings.

I received a free copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

"Pure Soapmaking" is very well researched and very well written. The beginningI received a free copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

"Pure Soapmaking" is very well researched and very well written. The beginning of the book centers on the science and how to of soapmaking. Chemical reactions are explained and the more uncommon words related to the process are defined. The author has done a fantastic job taking the complexities of scientific explanation and presenting it in an easy to understand format for the everyday reader.

The best part about this book is the multitude of recipes available for the reader to make. Every recipe is explained in detail and a lot have photographs to further explain the correct processes.

The photography throughout the book was beautiful. Seeing the possibilities of what you could create through the soapmaking process is a great encouragement to try as many of these soap recipes as possible.

This is actually a book I look forward to buying. I recommend it for anyone who enjoys making homemade gifts.

I received a free copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I'm all for a book like this to bring educational material to a group that mayI received a free copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I'm all for a book like this to bring educational material to a group that may not get good enough exposure to it. However, I don't agree with all the language used. That's just my personal opinion and others may not agree. The author does make some very good analyses of classic literature and has done a great job using language appropriate to his targeted audience. Not a lot of authors are able to convey their messages to their target group because of language barriers and incorrect presentation of material. It was a fun breakdown of the plotlines, symbolism, and themes. I am used to much more proper writing styles and to be fair a lot of the entertainment value of this book may have been lost on me due to my incessant need to change the wording as I read it.

I did really enjoy the section on Pride and Prejudice. The critical evaluation of the characters was very entertaining while being spot on. I actually could've used a book like this to help me out in high school and college literature classes.

The author also made a lot of associations and recognized a lot of themes that I was never aware of either through reading the literature covered or attending lecture on it. The one that was absolutely never touched on was Daisy as a siren" (The Great Gatsby section) and I totally agree with it.

I was also really impressed by the author's section on Fahrenheit 451. The first concept pointed out is that so many people overlook what the book is really about and simply see a story about burning books. Had my teacher been more entertaining when covering this novel, like Sweets, I probably would not have hated this book when I was younger.

This book was a genuine surprise to me and I highly recommend it for the younger group looking for help to understand these pieces of literature and to make learning fun for them.4 stars....more

I received a free copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I requested a copy of this book because I was curious to know what the outcomeI received a free copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I requested a copy of this book because I was curious to know what the outcome of "improving" the Constitution would be. While not being a Constitutional scholar and not claiming to be extremely knowledgeable about the subject, I'm not seeing any extraction of fact or information despite everything being rearranged for modern readers. The cover material claims the stiff language of the Constitution has been modified for easier readability but I still think the average reader may struggle. The addition of definitions is nice; however, I think space was wasted on words that do not need clarification.

I do not like the setup with section headers. As the author identified subject changes within the Constitution, headings were created identifying the new topics. This would have been fine if the new headings did not split sentences in two. At first I was under the impression ends of sentences were cut off due to editorial errors that had not been corrected yet since I have an ARC. It became clear that as the ideas changed through the sentences, the author identified them with new subject headings. This arrangement actually promoted confusion for me instead of relieving it. One such example is the following:

"Appellate Jurisdiction of the Supreme Court

In all the other cases mentioned below, * the Supreme Court shall have appellate jurisdiction both as to law and fact, with such exceptions and under such regulations as the Congress shall make, but1.71 | ART 3 SEC 2 CL 2

all the other cases mentioned below all the other cases to which the judicial power of the national government extends appellate (əpelʹit) jurisdiction the authority to hear and decide appeals from the decisions of other (lower) courts

Findings of Fact by Juries in Suits at Common Law

in suits at common law, no fact tried by a jury shall be otherwise reexamined in any court of the United States than according to the rules of the common law." (Location 630, 20% in Kindle version).

I do agree it makes sense to reorder the sections so that amendments are grouped with the original text they correspond to. I like that every section has been labeled with what part of they originated from.

All in all this is not a bad representation of the Constitution. I would have preferred a side-by-side view of the original and the edited versions but I do appreciate the original text being included at the end. I'm giving a 3 star rating because the idea had merit but sometimes you just can't improve on the original so I can't justify 5 stars at this time....more

I picked this up at the library because I was looking for something simple to brush up on my Spanish. At the time I didn't realize it was a children'sI picked this up at the library because I was looking for something simple to brush up on my Spanish. At the time I didn't realize it was a children's book. My purpose was to compare the difference in expressions between the Spanish version and the English version. It ended up being a creative little book. The illustrations were really not that good but it helps to not take away from the text. I think it's appropriate for the targeted age group....more

I'm not a very big sports fan but this was still a great read. While this was a collection of his writings for ESPN, there was still that signature HSI'm not a very big sports fan but this was still a great read. While this was a collection of his writings for ESPN, there was still that signature HST attitude to the writing. Everyone that annoyed him took hits - including the President. I appreciate the way Thompson always wrote exactly what he thought, regardless of what might be the consequences. This was my third HST book and probably my second favorite (second only to Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas....more

Love is the Cure is very well written and Elton John seems to have done his research. A huge focus of this book is on the fact that HIV/AIDS has suchLove is the Cure is very well written and Elton John seems to have done his research. A huge focus of this book is on the fact that HIV/AIDS has such a huge stigma attached to it that those with the disease often don't get any treatment. Most of the people who contract the disease are on the fringes of society - meaning they are not always regarded as equal (i.e. gays, prostitutes, injection drug users). In many places because of this social standing, these people are considered to be deserving of their illness. Elton John's point of view is that if everyone stops being so hateful and instead treats everyone with the same respect, AIDS will come to an end. Everyone will get access to the same necessary treatments and preventative measures and will no longer be forced to hide in shame. He proposes that through love the pandemic can end.

I actually learned an extensive amount about the disease while reading this. He's right. HIV/AIDS is something that is basically shoved into the closet and not talked about. I honestly didn't know half of the statistics, including the fact that one of the worst city-wide epidemics in the western hemisphere is in Washington, D.C. The only sort of formal education I've received in school regarding HIV/AIDS was in the 10th grade health class at my school. We had a section on STDs and had to have parental consent to attend those weeks of class due to the fact that HIV/AIDS is primarily associated with gay men. Unfortunately, due to this kind of thinking people like Ryan White have had to (and still do) suffer through the stigma of having the illness.

I am very impressed with the amount of effort Elton John put into this book. He's obviously done his research, which is critical for gaining all of the support he has for his organization EJAF. Citations are provided for each fact to prove that he's not making anything up. Usually, in my opinion, memoirs of celebrities written by those celebrities are trivial and inconsequential. They might be fun and allow a peek inside the hidden lives of the stars but they're not usually intellectual or life changing. This is. Love is the Cure is one of the best nonfiction pieces I've read in a long time. Elton John has just blown my mind away....more